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Shady Lady Ghost Stories of (Mostly) New York and New Jersey

The Ghostly Impresario

David Belasco's penthouse above New York's Belasco Theater was the scene of many a wild party before his death in 1931. According to the theater's stagehands, he's still having them.

The Ghostly Impresario

Phoebe and The Man
Who Became A Pocketbook

The Samuel Sayres House in Morristown NJ -- Jimmy's haunted restaurant.

Throughout several new businesses to open in the Sayre House, including one called Phoebe's, eerie whispers, swinging chandeliers, doors opening by themselves, misplaced items suddenly turning up, sounds of a crowd carrying outside when the building is closed and vacant -- and many more ghostly happenings have been commonplace.

Phoebe and The Man Who Became A Pocketbook

The Spring Street Ghost

Shaking his head in wonder at what he thought was some sort of religious experience, the man left the visitation in the loft space and went out to the bathroom, which was in a hallway that ran along the space in which he had been sleeping. When he returned, the figure was still standing at the far end of the loft. He could not tell at the distance if it was male or female.

Ghoulies and Ghosties: The Spring Street Ghost

Theo and the Pirates

Born in the final year of the American Revolution, it is more or less accepted that she died in a coastal storm during the War of 1812 onboard a privateer, the Patriot. She certainly vanished. There was indeed a gale force storm off Cape Hatteras. A British ship did attempt to detain the Patriot. Three retired pirates separately in the course of the 19th century claimed to have plundered the schooner. But what really became of Theodosia Burr Alston after her husband saw her off in Charleston on a trip to visit her father in New York? And why is the ghostly Theo haunting the waters off Huntington Beach State Park?

Theo and the Pirates (Click)

Madam Jumel and Her Two Husbands

Visitors to the mansion report meeting the ghost of Aaron Burr. But the first husband of Madam Jumel has caused the most ruckus. Stephen Jumel seems to have been a very, very angry ghost. He communicated to Hans Holzer and Ethel Myers during two rescue seances, the information that he had been murdered by his wife, Eliza. The ghostly Jumel claimed that he had been injured in an accident with a pitchfork after which Eliza ripped off his bandages and watched him bleed to death.

Madam Jumel and Her Two Husbands (Click)

The Ghostly Peanut Stand

At one time there was a house in Jersey City haunted by three ghosts: a man, the woman he loved, and a third ghost. A Mrs. Magee owned the house and had once shared it with her pretty daughter. A stubborn and domineering Irishwoman, Mrs. Magee lived long enough to regret events concerning a man, his maid, and a railroad terminal peanut stand.

This ghost story was adapted from a popular song of the Civil War Era: "The Peanut Stand."

"The Ghostly Peanut Stand"

The Bank Street Ghost

The new owners of the Greenwich Village house and their two servants regularly heard footsteps going up the stairway and walking across the second floor, followed by a light tapping sound. The occurrences happened during the daylight hours. Nobody was ever done any harm. The occupants just grew used to having a restless spirit as a housemate.

(Excerpt from: The Bank Street Ghost)

Ghost Story: The Bank Street Ghost

Big Foot Lives

Big Foot lives wherever there are woods, water, and swamps, and Big Foot likes it best when there is farmland bordering these areas. Big Foot raids crops, slaughters cattle and poultry, and, if hungry enough, family pets. Big Foot will tear the heavy wooden door off a barn to get at what it wants. Big Foot will stand big as life in your field shucking your corn and in your orchard picking your fruit. Big Foot will toss your enraged 50-pound watchdog straight out of the way and across the street. Big Foot will move so fast you can't shoot it with a high-powered automatic rifle, or ten. Big Foot will scream like a banshee, roar like ten bears, moan like a gale wind, and whistle very, very loud. It will smell like a dead thing.

Big Foot lives in Sussex County, New Jersey.

(Excerpt from "Big Foot Lives")

"Big Foot Lives"

The Devil And The Dancing Fool

A short story based on the South Jersey legends of the Jersey Devil in the Pine Barrens and Joe Mulliner, a Tory bandit hanged in the Revolution.

With her powerful bellow, in frustration at her plight, Mrs. Leeds called out, "Devil take this child!!"

The sound of the raging storm couldn't cover what she heard next, a hissing, a rattling, a stuck zzzzzzzzz sound like a saw hitting a rotten place in a plank of wood. As she turned to look, a shooting flame flared past her face. Jumping from her chair, her hands flew to cover her open mouth. Her eyes raced around in their sockets. Mrs. Leeds was shaken to her soul by what she saw before her.

(Excerpt from "The Devil And The Dancing Fool")

The Devil And The Dancing Fool

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Ghostly Links

Dark Side of the Net: Haunted Houses

The Shadowlands

South Jersey Ghost Research